Perfect Popovers with Cranberry Butter. These perfect popovers are light, airy, buttery, and SO delicious. Serve them warm right out of the oven with homemade cranberry butter for a popover that’s melt in your mouth good. Incredibly quick + easy to make and uses just 5 pantry staple ingredients. Doesn’t get easier or tastier than that!

Popovers have been a Thanksgiving tradition in our house now for the last eleven years. It’s so hard to believe, but eleven years ago was our first Thanksgiving in Colorado. I was in eighth grade (I was such a baby just eleven short years ago) and I was so excited to be in Colorado, where it was a snowy, winter wonderland. I’m not really sure just how everything went down that Thanksgiving, but I know mom made the turkey, I did the sides, and we partnered up on the desserts.

The one stand out recipe of that Thanksgiving were popovers. They were the favorite among everyone. And to this day, my mom looks forward to them every single year.

These are her favorite, and everyone else’s too. When eaten warm, right out of the oven, they really cannot be beat.

SO GOOD.

Here’s the deal. I’ve hesitated to share my popover recipe for the main reason that even though they’re so easy to make, you really can’t make them ahead of time…which is the biggest pain in the butt on Thanksgiving.

BUT, I think their deliciousness is worth it, so this is the year we will all make popovers for Thanksgiving.

Here’s how they’re made. It’s honestly the easiest recipe in the world, requires no special equipment, and uses pantry staple ingredients.

First, position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Popovers rise a lot so it’s important to give them room!

Now, add a pat of butter to each popover cup and then place the pan in the oven to preheat. Heating the popover pan ensures the popovers will pop in the oven. This is the exact 6 cup popover pan that I have and love. Here is the 12 cup popover pan if you want to double the recipe. If you don’t have a popover pan, you can use a standard size muffin pan, but the popovers will be mini popovers. Still delicious, just smaller.

OK. Next up, whisk the milk and eggs. Here’s the important note, use room temperature milk and eggs. Meaning, don’t take the milk and eggs from the fridge and use them. No, no, no, cold ingredients will give you dense popovers. Warm ingredients will give you light, airy, and perfect popovers.

Tip: to quickly bring eggs to room temperature submerge them in hot water for five or so minutes. This warms them right up!

Once you have your milk and eggs whisked up, add melted butter, flour, and salt. And that is your batter. Add the batter to the hot popover pan, bake. About forty minutes later you’ll have the most perfect, buttery, light, and airy popovers ever.

Since I love a fruit twist, I mixed up a simple cranberry butter using leftover cranberry sauce and salted butter. Honestly? I’m not the biggest cranberry sauce person. But I make it every Thanksgiving for the sole purpose of having leftovers to make cranberry butter. It’s delicious slathered on these popovers, used for turkey sandwiches (in place of mayo), or served with dutch babies.

As mentioned, the one downside is that you really can’t make these ahead time. Sure the leftovers are great reheated, but these are at their best fresh out of the oven. My tip? Prep the batter ahead of time and then throw them in right after the turkey comes out. The turkey needs time to rest, so it’s the perfect time to bake the popovers. By the time they bake up, you should have the turkey carved, the gravy made, and be ready for eating.

It’s actually timed perfectly, which is why I can get away with making them every year!

And yes, these are still great minus the cranberry butter. But let’s be real, they’re a million times better with the cranberry butter. So make both…and maybe double the recipe. Because everyone enjoys at least two…and I have people who’ve eaten three.

Again, they’re the BEST!

If you make these popovers please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Perfect Popovers with Cranberry Butter

These perfect popovers are light, airy, buttery, and SO delicious. Serve them warm right out of the oven with homemade cranberry butter for a popover that's melt in your mouth good. Incredibly quick + easy to make and uses just 5 pantry staple ingredients...so good!

Prep Time10minutes

Cook Time40minutes

Total Time50minutes

Servings06 popovers or 10 mini popovers

Calories319kcal

Ingredients

6teaspoonssalted butter

1 1/2cupswhole milk, at room temperature

3large eggs, at room temperature

1tablespoonsalted butter, melted

1 1/2cupsall purpose flour

1teaspoonkosher salt

Cranberry Butter

4tablespoonssalted butter, at room temperature

1/4cupleftover cranberry sauce

Instructions

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Place 1 teaspoon of butter in a 6 cup standard popover pan. Alternately, you can use a 12-cup muffin pans and make 10 mini popovers. Transfer the popover pan to the oven.

3. In medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the milk and eggs until frothy, about 1 minute. Add the tablespoon melted butter, flour and salt and whisk to combine, it's OK if there are small lumps.

4. Carefully remove the popover pan from the oven and evenly divide the batter between the popover cups, filling them about 3/4 of the way full. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake another 15-20 minutes, until puffed, golden and crisp.

5. Meanwhile, make the cranberry butter. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter and cranberry sauce until combined.

Hey Whitney, You can use a 12 cup muffin pan. The recipe will make about 10 mini popovers when using a muffin pan. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan

Hey Roberta, I baked these in a traditional popover pan and not the cups! Just moved them to the cups for photos. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan

This is the exact recipe I use for popover. When I want to make them just for myself, I just reduce everything by two thirds one third…one egg, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk, 3 teas butter…and I pour the batter into three prepared muffin tins. I have learned that when using muffin tins, The time bake has to be adjusted as the muffin size is smaller so I usually bake at the higher temp for about 13 minutes and the lower temp for another 15…checking through the oven glass to see if they are popped and golden, I love making these as a special Sunday morning treat and love slathering them with pumpkin butter

HI! I have not tested these with soy milk so I am not sure. I would think it would work fine, but again I am not sure. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan

Hey Jenna, it should be around the same cooking time. bake at 450 for 20 and then 35 for another 10-15 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan

Added to our Thanksgiving menu this year! If you prep the batter ahead of time, do you leave it at room temp until baking? Would it work to prep the batter the day before, refrigerate, and let come to room temp before baking?

HI! I do not recommend adding cranberries to the batter as I don’t think the popovers will pop well because the cranberries will way the batter down. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan

I absolutely love popovers! Sometimes we have had issues with them baking at higher altitudes here in New Mexico- have you ever had that issue in CO and if so, have any suggestions to make sure they come out well?

hey Sarah! I have not had any issues and I make these just as directed in the recipe, so I think they should work great for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan

HI! Yes, prepping the batter the night before works great, just allow the batter to sit on the counter while the oven preheats. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan

These are DELICIOUS. I made them during my baking frenzy the day before Thanksgiving and they are honestly delicious. Very simple to make and the cranberry butter is divine. I used a muffin tin since I didn’t have a popover pan and it actually made 12 popovers. Delicious and highly recommend!!

I recommend cooking 15 minutes at the high temp, then cooking another 10-15 minutes at 350. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Holidays!! xTieghan 🎄

Meet Tieghan Gerard.

I’m Tieghan, the recipes you’ll find here are inspired by the people and places I love most. I try to live simply, eat seasonally, and cook with whole foods. My hope is to inspire a love for amazing food, as well as the courage to try something new!